Karl Andersson

Many repeated motives here … Guess it’s because it’s my favorite motives. Will see the show advertised on the top billboards before I leave.

Many repeated motives here … Guess it’s because it’s my favorite motives. Will see the show advertised on the top billboards before I leave.

I didn’t plan to go for a third day, but there are different exhibitors every day and I wanted to say hi to an artist that I interviewed in Saitama a year ago, so I went again. This last day was the most packed one! The most popular sellers had lines that stretched out onto the tarmac outside for 50 or 100 meters (one of the photos shows such a line). Everything extremely controlled of course. I placed myself in one of those lines (also on a photo), but after a few minutes a staff member made a cut in the line and said that all their goods were sold out. Which seemed to happen all the time. I tried desperately to buy a bigger bag to fit the smaller ones with embarrassing prints, but even the official Comiket 83 bag was sold out in the end. Good I bought one yesterday. As before, most of the photos is from getting there. It’s like a general exodus. I have many impressions from these three amazing days. I’ll save them for later.

Nothing planned for New Year’s Eve, but that’s alright. Tomorrow I’ll go to Yokohama and stay the night with a friend.

I didn’t plan to go for a third day, but there are different exhibitors every day and I wanted to say hi to an artist that I interviewed in Saitama...

Ueno in the rain

Much more people today, maybe because I arrived earlier and also because it’s a Sunday. I’m amazed at the way these kinds of events are organised. On the way to and from the train stations, and between the exhibition halls, people are moving like cars on highways: Calmly and controlled, and directed by the staff and, I think, some police. And station attendants. It works so smoothly.

Comiket itself is quite exciting. I found more manga to my liking today and bought quite a few. And spoke to the artists of course. i bought about 50/50 from male/female artists I think. It’s really cute to see some real hardcore manga cover that would be half-banned in the West, and then behind the desk the shy little woman who created it, behind a mask and with nicely made up eyes.

Tomorrow is the last day, but I probably won’t go. I’ll browse the catalogue (it weighs about 3 or 4 kilos) to see if there’s some artist I definitely want to meet who’s exhibiting tomorrow. I met Tsukumo Gou today, which was nice.

It’s raining quite heavily today by the way. I’m off to Shibuya.

Much more people today, maybe because I arrived earlier and also because it’s a Sunday. I’m amazed at the way these kinds of events are organised. On the way to...

Including the obligatory “shuuden” shot (last train).

Including the obligatory “shuuden” shot (last train).

First time I have this traditional Osakan dish. Though we’re still in Tokyo. We had to prepare it ourselves on the grill on our tables! Good I had a friend who enjoyed doing that. Last picture – the three balls – is takoyaki, squid balls. Also a traditional Osaka dish, which I actually had when I was in Osaka last year in October.

First time I have this traditional Osakan dish. Though we’re still in Tokyo. We had to prepare it ourselves on the grill on our tables! Good I had a friend...

Photo taken (with my mobile) at the same spot as this one from March 2012.

And I was on my way to see:

Apparently it’s a yearly event which was broadcast live to selected cinemas around Japan, Korea and parts of China. So we watched it from a movie theatre in Shibuya. Three hours on the first row! Surprisingly good, at least the first two hours. Lots of fan service. And the theatre full of girls waving their light sticks.

Photo taken (with my mobile) at the same spot as this one from March 2012. And I was on my way to see: Apparently it’s a yearly event which was broadcast live...